Nordiskt försvarssamarbete i åtstramningens tidevarv
En studie av förutsättningar för det norsk-svenska försvarssamarbetet
This study uses European researcher Tomas Valasek?s hypothesis about factors required for defence cooperation in order to achieve conditions which can be successfully applied to the Nordic defence cooperation NORDEFCO. The study uses only Norway and Sweden on the grounds that they are the original actors and the driving forces behind the defence cooperation. The factors studied are; the countries' strategic culture, solidarity and trust between countries, similarity in military forces, if similar conditions prevail in the defence industry and if the intentions of cooperation have been clarified.Mainly government documents in the form of propositions, orientations and defence documents are studied, together with previous research in this area and, especially, interviews with representatives of NORDEFCO at military level and policy level as well as outside perspectives from the military attachés in each country. With the intention of studying the extent to which the factors Valasek features may prove to be significant in assessing the conditions for enhanced cooperation in NORDEFCO, the study raises the question of how it is possible to find expressions for the factors. The question presented continuously throughout the analysis and following the study answers the question whether certain factors appear to be more relevant than others for the development of Nordic cooperation.It has been shown that Nordic cooperation is likely to emanate from factors such as strategic culture and similarities in the armed forces. Intentions of this cooperation are considered to be identified, although with more far-reaching intentions from the Swedish perspective. Trust is built gradually step by step, but the fact that each country has its own security ties; solidarity has proven to be of minor importance to the cooperation. The single most important factor for future development is considered by all interviewees as well as previous researchers and myself, to be that of similar conditions for the defence industry. If conditions for the defence industry were commonly set in a Nordic context, these would probably facilitate reaching a higher level of cooperation.